Philips HomeCooker with Jamie Oliver pictures and hands-on

Jamie Oliver made a surprise appearance at IFA 2012 in Berlin to launch the new HomeCooker, developed collaboratively with Philips. We got the chance to see the London lad cook up an eight,-minute curry, before checking out the Philips HomeCooker for ourselves.

The Philips HomeCooker is looking to stir things up in kitchens across the country offering to cook fresh healthy meals easily. The pitch is to save you time and effort. Talking about cooking risotto, Oliver asked: "Do you really want to be standing there stirring for 20 minutes?"

The real magic of the HomeCooker is the stirring, as not only can you select the temperature to cook at (without the vagaries of that pesky gas knob), but an internal mechanism will also stir the contents of the pan for you.

It works on a stacking system, like an electric steamer, so you can cook food in layers, with a basket sitting atop the main cooking pan. On the demo stage, Oliver had rice steaming above a chilli con carne, for example.

We're sure he's saying "Philips"

But wait, there's more.

There will be various model options for the Philips HomeCooker, one coming with a handy accessory to make things even easier. The epically named Cutting Tower will let you feed your ingredients into the top so they can be sliced and diced and dropped into the pan beneath for cooking.

The ever-gracious Oliver has also taken the time to develop a selection of recipes, so you'll find his book in the box, ready to get you started.

It's dishwasher friendly and comes in either black or white. It will be available in September for £250.

UPDATE: John Lewis has confirmed that it will be exclusively stocking the Philips HomeCooker.

Chris sits in the Editor’s chair, guiding the good ship Pocket-lint through the tumultuous seas of an ever-changing world of tech. Involved with Pocket-lint from its foundation, he’s best known for his critical eye and throwaway snark.